Criminal Justice Major and Concentrations Course Descriptions

This course introduces students to the essentials of criminal justice and the most significant issues in today’s American criminal justice system. Students will learn the true roles of the police, courts, and corrections and develop an understanding of the complex ways in which they work together. Information on criminal justice careers will help students learn about the meaning of criminal justice to those who work in the field and will provide useful information that can aid career choices. Three hours

An introductory study of the principles and techniques of investigation and data collection in the social sciences. The course will deal with techniques of organizing, conducting, analyzing, and presenting such data. Three hours.

This course will provide an extensive overview of the principles and concepts of traditional and modern victimologists. This course will further examine victimology, analysis of victimization patterns and trends, and theoretical reasoning and responses to criminal victimization. In addition, this course explores the role of victimology in the criminal justice system, examining the consequences of victimization and the various remedies now available for victims. Three hours.

This course is a study of the process of motivation and emotion and how they impact behavior and choices that people make every day. This course will study the research on the psychological and physiological aspects of motivation and emotion and the impact that those aspects have on behavior. The course will provide the student with a framework to view motivation and emotion that can help process difficult questions about human behavior such as “why are some people more emotional than others?”, and “is it possible to create environments that increase the motivation of another human?”. Three hours.

This is an examination of the major theoretical explanations of crime and criminal behavior with a focus on examining current events. Students will explore current events in the media and issues in today’s American criminal justice system. This course is designed to provide students with a collective overview of historical and current criminological perspectives. Students will explore roles of the law enforcement, courts, and corrections and develop an understanding of the complex ways in which they work together. Students will explore criminal justice careers and hear from those who currently work in the criminal justice field. Three hours.

This internship course in behavioral science is to provide the interns with a structured introduction to various aspects of professional work. Students are given the opportunity to observe and develop their own skills in a first-hand operational structure within a behavioral science agency. Students in the internship course will get direct supervision from an onsite supervisor in their specific field of interest. Three hours.

Instruction and skill development in interviewing, note-taking, and report writing in the criminal justice field. This course will prepare students to conduct interviews of witnesses, victims, and suspects. It will demonstrate how to organize information into effective written reports. Special consideration will be given in the area of child and adolescent interviews. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to conduct interviews, collect information admissible in court, demonstrate appropriate note-taking skills and create reports that convey the pertinent information. Three hours.

This course is an introductory study of Corrections as it relates to the Criminal Justice field. The students will discover topics such as sentencing, probation vs. parole, inmate culture, prison policy, inmate segregation, and community corrections. Three hours.

In this course, students will look at the evolution of the criminal justice system from the criminal acts to those who commit them. This class will explore societal responses to crime from a historical and contemporary framework. Among the topics are problem-oriented policing, terrorism, justice during the Civil War, incarceration trends, and today’s current crime challenges. This class will explore the evolution of crime through patterns of crime and punishment during selected periods of time. Students will utilize scientific rigor and understand how to assess and manage opportunities and challenges within the criminal justice system by observing them through a historical assessment. Three hours.

Students will explore ethical principles for making judgments and choices on moral issues. They will study what various philosophers have said is good and right and leads to true happiness. They will examine various systems of ethics and values as well as the philosophical basis behind them. Applying biblical data to contemporary ethical issues, they will develop a Christian view of ethics. Three hours.

This course will provide an extensive overview of the principles and concepts surrounding Juvenile Delinquency. This course will examine the nature and extent of Juvenile Delinquency, Theories of Delinquency, causes of delinquency, and how to control and prevent delinquency. Three hours.

This course is designed to engage the student in an in-depth analysis of crime, the criminal career, and the criminal justice system as a complex but interrelated whole. Criminology will seek to examine the legal definitions of criminal behavior, current theoretical explanations, trends in reported distribution of crime, and governmental agencies commissioned to deal with the problem of crime such as police, courts, and correctional institutions. Three hours.

The study of substantive criminal law as a means of defining social values. Attention is given to the definition and classification of crime, as well as criminal law theory and the relationship of criminal law to the criminal justice system. Three hours.

An examination of race in the context of the criminal justice system. Emphasis on the treatment of racial minorities as victims and offenders by law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Students will learn how to understand how race and ethnicity are central to crime and criminal justice. Gain knowledge about the difference between race and ethnicity. Explore the different theoretical explanations for the racial and ethnic gap in offending and victimization. Research the nature and extent of inequality in American society with respect to racial and ethnic minorities. Look into how race and ethnicity continue to be taken into consideration during the jury selection process. Additionally, students will explore different parts of the criminal justice system and develop an accurate picture of who is in prison and the racial and ethnic composition of the prison population. Three hours.

In this course, students will look at the evolution of the criminal justice system from the criminal acts to those who commit them. This class will explore societal responses to crime from a historical and contemporary framework. Among the topics are problem-oriented policing, terrorism, justice during the Civil War, incarceration trends, and today’s current crime challenges. This class will explore the evolution of crime through patterns of crime and punishment during selected periods of time. Students will utilize scientific rigor and understand how to assess and manage opportunities and challenges within the criminal justice system by observing them through a historical assessment. Three hours.

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the principles, techniques, and procedures of criminal investigation. Students will explore the roles and responsibilities of investigators in identifying, gathering, preserving, and analyzing evidence. Topics include crime scene management, interviewing and interrogation, forensic science applications, legal considerations and the ethical challenges faced by investigators. Emphasis is placed on biblical integration to critical thinking, problem-solving, and the incorporation of modern technologies in solving crimes. By the end of the course, students will gain practical knowledge of investigative processes and understand the complexities involved in solving various types of criminal cases, such as property crimes, violent crimes, and cybercrimes. This course combines lectures, case studies, and hands-on activities to prepare students for further studies or careers in criminal justice. Three hours.

This course examines the laws, procedures, and traditions of the criminal justice system. Students will explore current events in the media and issues in today’s American criminal justice system with an emphasis on procedural law. This course is designed to provide students with a collective overview of constitutional rights and the related responsibility of police. Students will explore roles of the law enforcement, courts, and corrections and develop an understanding of the complex ways in which they work together. Special emphasis will be placed on amendments to the Constitution as related to the rights of the individual. Three hours

Students will explore ethical principles for making judgments and choices on moral issues. They will study what various philosophers have said is good and right and leads to true happiness. They will examine various systems of ethics and values as well as the philosophical basis behind them. Applying biblical data to contemporary ethical issues, they will develop a Christian view of ethics. Three hours.

This course is designed to engage the student in an in-depth analysis of crime, the criminal career, and the criminal justice system as a complex but interrelated whole. Criminology will seek to examine the legal definitions of criminal behavior, current theoretical explanations, trends in reported distribution of crime, and governmental agencies commissioned to deal with the problem of crime such as police, courts, and correctional institutions. Three hours.

The role of law enforcement in society as it relates to local, state, and federal jurisdictions. Three hours.

This course is specifically designed for students interested in law enforcement and corrections. Students will center their exploration of criminal behavior on its motivation, the environmental influences, and patterns of offending. Among the topics are ethics and criminal profiles, serial criminals, stalking, psychopathic behaviors, fire and explosives, criminal offender characteristics, criminal motivation, and case assessment. Students will explore criminal profiling as an investigative tool used by professionals to assist agencies in pursuing unknown perpetrators. This class will provide an understanding of the history of profiling including theories and investigative techniques regarding profiling criminal offenders through a blend of social science and legal research. Students will gain a foundational knowledge of the integral relationship between profiling techniques and theories of criminal behavior. Three hours.

A study of the family as a basic social institution with its cultural variations. Emphasis is upon premarital and marital factors that contribute to a successful marriage or family disorganization. Christian ideals for wholesome courtship and family living are stressed. Three hours.

Instruction and skill development in interviewing, note-taking, and report writing in the criminal justice field. This course will prepare students to conduct interviews of witnesses, victims, and suspects. It will demonstrate how to organize information into effective written reports. Special consideration will be given in the area of child and adolescent interviews. Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to conduct interviews, collect information admissible in court, demonstrate appropriate note-taking skills and create reports that convey the pertinent information. Three hours

In this course, students will look at the evolution of the criminal justice system from the criminal acts to those who commit them. This class will explore societal responses to crime from a historical and contemporary framework. Among the topics are problem-oriented policing, terrorism, justice during the Civil War, incarceration trends, and today’s current crime challenges. This class will explore the evolution of crime through patterns of crime and punishment during selected periods of time. Students will utilize scientific rigor and understand how to assess and manage opportunities and challenges within the criminal justice system by observing them through a historical assessment. Three hours.

This course is designed to give the student a theoretical and practical understanding of addictive disorders. At the completion of this course the student will be able to define several key concepts relative to addictions and the disease of chemical dependency, have a workable knowledge of the concepts of withdrawal tolerance and drug interactions as they relate to commonly abused drugs, and have gained a general knowledge of concepts, methods, and techniques in the area of addictive disorders, substance abuse, and/or chemical dependency. Three hours.

A study of the social behavior of the individual and the group. Particular attention is given to the development and dynamics of social groups, social perception, motivation, attitudes and values. Three hours.

This course is designed to engage the student in an in-depth analysis of crime, the criminal career, and the criminal justice system as a complex but interrelated whole. Criminology will seek to examine the legal definitions of criminal behavior, current theoretical explanations, trends in reported distribution of crime, and governmental agencies commissioned to deal with the problem of crime such as police, courts, and correctional institutions. Three hours.

An examination of race in the context of the criminal justice system. Emphasis on the treatment of racial minorities as victims and offenders by law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Students will learn how to understand how race and ethnicity are central to crime and criminal justice. Gain knowledge about the difference between race and ethnicity. Explore the different theoretical explanations for the racial and ethnic gap in offending and victimization. Research the nature and extent of inequality in American society with respect to racial and ethnic minorities. Look into how race and ethnicity continue to be taken into consideration during the jury selection process. Additionally, students will explore different parts of the criminal justice system and develop an accurate picture of who is in prison and the racial and ethnic composition of the prison population. Three hours.